Flight Nurse

Flight Nurses evaluate individual patient's inflight needs and request appropriate medications, supplies and equipment, providing continuing nursing care from originating to destination facility. They act as liaison between medical and operational aircrews and support personnel in order to promote patient comfort and to expedite the mission, and also initiate emergency treatment in the absence of a physician for inflight medical emergencies.

IHSC serves as the primary focus for the planning, management, policy formulation, program coordination, direction, and liaison for all health matters pertaining to the 20,000 undocumented migrants in the custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Division supports this mission by providing or arranging cost-effective health service for the delivery of direct primary health care at ICE facilities and at other locations throughout the nation where ICE migrants are being detained.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Interviews newly admitted clients by exhibiting sensitivity to needs and tolerance to alleviate fears and anxieties. Interprets and explains the institution's treatment programs. Attempts to obtain as complete a longitudinal physical/mental history as a basis for the formulation of assessment and treatment goals.
• Through effective observations, personal histories, and other assessment measurements, gathers information that portrays the client's physical health. Evaluates the results to provide sound diagnostic conclusions. Collects all appropriate clinical and laboratory data that reflects patient's response to therapy/treatment noting any side effects.
• Collects clinical and laboratory data regarding treatment characteristics, dosages, etc., used to make treatment predictions to compare and contrast outcomes of the therapies.
• Develops a comprehensive treatment plan based on precedent and standards in a clinical setting. Implements appropriate and most effective therapies for condition(s) being treated. Using the full range of assessment tools and techniques monitors patient's progress and regularly reassesses patient's condition, recommending appropriate adjustments to treatment plan. Provides professional consultation when change of status is recommended. Applies in-depth knowledge of treatments and drug actions when making observations of patient response to protocol treatments. Coordinates nursing care with other site staff.
• Performs a full range of standard patient care services by providing healthcare maintenance. Applies patient-specific knowledge of patients to monitor and control stress levels, and provide emotional support.
• Independently or assisting the physician, provides well-established professional outpatient, inpatient, and emergency care procedures to patients. This can include the following patient care: weighing, preparation for surgical and/or diagnostic procedures, assisting in minor surgery and pelvic examinations, taking a medical history and the documentation of all treatments and observations. May also perform limited physical examinations including measuring visual acuity, hearing, pulmonary functions, tests, and electrocardiograms. Coordinates the treatment of acutely ill or injured patients. Gives intra-dermal, subcutaneous, and intra-muscular injections of medications, immunizations, and desensitization. Sets up, operates, and monitors specialized equipment such as cardiac monitors, defibrillators, IV machines, etc. Observes and assesses patient's clinical condition; recognizes, identifies and interprets serious situations and immediately decides proper action, i.e., call physician(s) or takes preplanned emergency measures.
• Assists in the orientation of new medical and nursing personnel to protocol requirements and the specifics of the patient population. Provides appropriate health teaching and counseling to provide reinforcement and guidance to minimize protocol deviations.
• Serves as a team member for analyzing established protocol practices and identifying areas that could be improved. With the team, drafts recommendations for improved efficiency of patient care.
• Assists in site-wide review of quality assurance and data entry procedures for report-generating activities. Makes recommendations on how to improve or upgrade data entry procedures and reports.
• Through discussions and analysis of medical barriers, assists in identifying and recommending needed modifications or improvements to multiple or complex clinical programs. Develops new operating procedures or program plans for implementing necessary changes.
• Interview patients, interprets the agency's guidelines and eligibility requirements, and completes a comprehensive physical/mental history and assessment. Astute observations and comprehensive knowledge are required since a majority of IHSC patients tend to have frequent and severe health issues, be poor at self-monitoring, frequently fail to comply with instructions (medical or legal), have significant deficits in coping skills, and require continuing professional clinical support.
• Assists in the design of methods for collection, management, and analysis of data. Recommends actions to facilitate implementation of data reporting and input procedures. Develops and uses computer-compatible input forms, remote on-line input and retrieval processing equipment.
• Manages assigned aspects of centrally-managed nursing and medical-care projects. Assists in program/project design activities, drafting strategies, suggesting resolution of problems, and furthering project implementation.
• Supports Agency-wide activities within the nursing and medical care area:
  • Reviewing and analyzing data
  • Developing strategies, analytical models, and methodologies
  • Providing assistance and advice on nursing issues
  • Supports higher-graded Nurse Consultants and other Specialists
  • Analyzes policy and guidance, to assure they are interpreted and applied consistently
  • Assists in identifying successful nursing and medical care strategies and projects that prove particularly successful for information and implementation.
  • Reviews strategies to appraise and report on progress toward the achievement of goals and the adequacy of institutional arrangements.

Knowledge Required:

• This position requires a professional knowledge of a wide range of nursing concepts, principles, and practices to perform highly specialized nursing assignments of advanced nature and considerable difficulty requiring extended specialized training and experience.
• Must remain flexible. TDY can last up to 30 days at all times. Expect to be out on a regular basis 20 days a month .Adapt to sudden changes in schedules and work requirements. This means cancellation of leave if it interferes with unexpected missions.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential.
• Current nurse licensure and CPR certification.
• Must pass Air Force Air Flight Nurse Course.

Physical Requirements:

• Must meet Air Force height and weight standard
• Must be able to run a mile and a half under 12 minutes.
• Must be able climb six feet wall with full gear.
• Must be able to complete 20 push-ups and carry 180 pound dummy 25 yards in 20 seconds.